Preliminary results of 130 aortic valve replacements with a new mechanical bileaflet prosthesis: the Edwards MIRA valve

We present a series of 130 consecutive patients operated for aortic valve replacement (AVR) using the standard MIRA prosthesis between January 1999 and March 2001. Most of the patients were male (sex ratio = 2) with a mean age of 61.5 +/- 9.5 years. The prosthesis was implanted using the continuous suture technique. The mean diameter of the implanted prostheses was 23 mm. This series was composed of 66% of isolated AVR. The associated operative procedures were as follows: coronary artery bypass grafting 23%, replacement of the ascending aorta 6%, replacement of the mitral valves 8% and mitral valvuloplasty 3%. A short-term follow-up was performed and echocardiography data at 6 +/- 2.1 months were collected. Operative mortality (<30 days) was 2.32% for the isolated AVR. No structural dysfunction, endocarditis or paraprosthetic leakage were observed. Postoperative ultrasound echography at 6 months revealed a transprosthetic gradient of 14.8 +/- 4.2 mmHg for the mean prosthesis diameter of 23 mm. The Edwards MIRA prosthesis has produced satisfactory and reliable early results. Long-term follow-up will be necessary to confirm these good early results.